Hanlen runs Pure Sweat Basketball, a training firm with quite the impressive client list of young NBA players: LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal, Anthony Bennett, David Lee, Jameer Nelson, Jordan Clarkson and 2015 NBA Draft prospect Kelly Oubre. So while the 5-11 former St. Louis high school star and Belmont University point guard won't ever play in the NBA, he is living the lifestyle.

Hanlen spends most of the year traveling, visiting his growing list of clients, whom he considers family. That means Minneapolis, Washington, Oakland and more, along with his part-time residences in St. Louis and Santa Barbara, Calif.

The 25-year-old, who averaged 10.8 points and 3.9 assists a game as a senior at Belmont in 2011-12, has built his business solely through word of mouth. He has spent just $265 in seven years on marketing — and said that was just to get business cards printed for his 28 trainers and eight full-time employees.

Clarkson, who played at Tulsa and Missouri before the Lakers selected him in the second round of last year's draft, said Hanlen's age makes it easier for him to connect with his clients.

"Drew has helped me a lot, especially during the pre-draft time," Clarkson, who was named to the NBA All-Rookie team this season for the Lakers, told Perform Media. "He puts a lot of time into this, and that's why I continue to work with him. He goes into so much detail and watches a lot of film. It's easy for him to talk to us and get his point across. Then, he can show us on the court exactly what he means after watching film."

Hanlen’s business began in the most inconspicuous fashion. During a break from running a concession stand during a youth basketball tournament, the then-high school junior was putting himself through a personal workout on an unused court in the gym.

A parent of one of the sixth-graders who were playing offered $20 per hour to "toughen up" his son by "kicking his butt."

"He said, 'My kid is soft and I wish he worked as hard as you do,' " Hanlen recalled in an extensive interview with Perform Media. "Obviously, as a junior in high school, someone offering me money to be on a basketball court was a no-brainer."

Hanlen soon added other St. Louis natives such as Beal, now starring for the Wizards, and Lee, on the NBA Finals-contending Warriors, as well as former Iowa State forward Anthony Booker and Jacksonville State guard Cameron Biedscheid.

Lee is close with fellow University of Florida product Beal and heard of Hanlen’s work, so the two-time NBA All-Star reached out to Hanlen. Clarkson was brought into the fold while at Missouri and told Perform Media he let Hanlen "do his own thing and fell in love with his work."

While his business still was blossoming, Hanlen led his Webster Groves high school team to a Missouri state title in 2008. From there it was onto Belmont, which Hanlen chose because of its strong entrepreneurship program, but his burgeoning basketball business nearly cost him his NCAA eligibility.

"There are just so many ways you can go wrong even when you’re trying to read the rules and do them all the right way,” Belmont coach Rick Byrd told Perform Media. “It’s a fine line between doing what you want to do and doing it right. There are so many minute parts of the rules. You can do this, but you can’t do that. It’s the nature of the beast. It’s not always easy."

Hanlen never missed a game at Belmont, which he described as a "perfect fit," and helped the Bruins earn consecutive NCAA Tournament berths in 2011 and 2012.

Hanlen’s basketball hero growing up was Michael Jordan, and he would record Bulls games and then study every move Jordan made. Then he’d go out to the court and “practice all the moves he did,” he said.

"He brought a championship mentality and there were a lot of things about Drew that put him over the top for us," Byrd said. "There were plenty of things about him that made it easy for us to offer him a scholarship. It’s obvious that he loves the game.

"He's going to make folks better because he's got so much energy and enthusiasm about it."

Hanlen was his own personal trainer, and his parents, Brady and Colleen, fed his passion for basketball by taking him to school early so he could get some court time in before classes.

Once Hanlen realized he was not going to hit 6 feet, he began to study the games of shorter college and NBA point guards such as former Duke and Bulls guard Jay Williams, who was at Pure Sweat’s training session on Tuesday.

“That was when my love for studying basketball as a craft began,” Hanlen said. “Now, today, I break down film and help players emulate the players I think they can become.”

Hanlen's dream was to play in the NBA. While that hasn't happened, he's still having an impact on the league. Hanlen worked with seven draft picks in 2012 and, over the five years, has trained at least one lottery pick in each draft with a total of 25 drafted players as clients.

"I'm around NBA players every day," Hanlen said. "I travel with NBA players. While I'm not playing in the NBA, I get the perks of being in the NBA lifestyle."

With Bennett and Wiggins, Hanlen has worked with the last two No. 1 overall picks.

Hanlen may have another lottery pick this year in Oubre, the Kansas freshman guard who is one of the draft's best shooters and could be selected as high as No. 9 by the Hornets.

"I've accepted my role being in the background and giving them that little extra assistance to make sure they have a competitive advantage every time they step on the court against an opponent," Hanlen said. "My ultimate goal is to help as many players (as possible) reach the level of success that they dream of and take them beyond what they even think is capable. That’s kind of the mission statement and my personal belief.

“I’ve been able to help a lot of players and business is doing great.”